In late 2013, I started working at Deluxe Entertainment in Burbank and was debugging several versions of a LAMP stack application with Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP as well as AMFPHP and Flex. The project was Media Recall, a digital media storage and cataloging system for several major clients including Harpo (Oprah Winfrey), Johnny Carson, Martha Stewart Online, and more. Later on I moved into tools development for the Operations team and created this application. Several of the tools being developed by the team had an XML format for the forms, and creating that XML was becoming a large task. My project was to simplify that by creating a visual tool to create and modify the XML. This tool was also a LAMP stack application, in which my focus was mainly the Flex and PHP.
I was looking for a way to display CS4, CS5, Flex 3, and Flex 4 content all in one contiguous Flash experience. Turns out Flex 4 (FlashBuilder) was the best choice! It has proven very stable compared to CS5 as a swf in swf container environment, and does not seem to have any issues with Flash components. Whenever I had free time, I added more items to the portfolio or more features to the portfolio application.
Perhaps the biggest piece of programming in my online portfolio is the portfolio application itself. It’s not described anywhere in the portfolio, so I’m doing it here.
Here’s a list of features it has:
Database Driven: All portfolio items are assembled in a mysql database with info such as title, description, swf path, etc. From the database, you can choose items in the sliding “accordion” component, or the 3D image wheel – both on the left side.
Data Services: Data is fetched using Flash Remoting, I wrote the PHP services that feed my ActionScript structured, binary compressed data
Integrated WordPress Blog: Portfolio Items described in the blog are linked to the items in the portfolio, and the blog entries can be read while in the site. Click the “W” icons to see.
XML Menu system: I can easily add links and items that trigger AS3 functionality. Also, items can be launched in a JavaScript LightBox just by populating the xml
Windowing system: Allows you to view multiple items at once and move them around
Layout Control: Sizes to any ( decent ) resolution and automatically adjusts the layout to compensate, even when you resize the browser during viewing
3D Item Selector: A custom PaperVision 3D component I built to select items. Selected items have a yellow 3D polygon above them, and highlighted items use a glow effect.
Shadowbox: Some portfolio items launch in a JavaScript box overlay. This allows it to launch html content in a separate window without “leaving” the site
Full Screen Mode: Click the “Max” button in the top right corner
Cascading Windows & Close All functionality: in the Appearance menu
Code Generated Wallpaper: in the Appearance menu. Uses a radial gradient
The structure of the portfolio could be reused to develop a large application where interactive modules are loaded and unloaded as needed. Floating windows and dialog boxes, along with the menu system are all elements of this. The code is an MVC ( Model View Controller ) structure that I find easy to update and build on.
The portfolio was rendered dynamically from the database, following a path of mysql -> PHP -> AMFPHP -> Flex.
see it